Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Wheat belly, bagel butt or biscuit face - any of these terms could apply according to Dr William Davis.

Well it has been a week or just over.Not as hard as I thought it would be.

Havent noticed any negative side affects yet but think there may have been some positive ones.I lost 800g without trying at all but that just could be fluid.I am sleeping better but that just might be because glorious autumn has arrived.Except on the days I still have wheat, tummy problems non existant.

I am reading ingredient lists diligently. Amazed at what has wheat in it. Soy sauce does but have found a wheatfree brand. Also have found a wheat free bread made by Dovedale and available at Coles. It is a rye bread.

I am reading Wheat Belly too. Downloaded it on my iPad. Read the sample first and thought I would like to read more so ended up buying it last night.

Subconscious is still in revolt about no bread, pasta or noodles but is learning to live without it. It is not going to kill me to eat it, it just doesn't seem to agree with me and if it makes a difference then yah!

Any way more reading and exploring recipes to do yet.

Read a comment on a blog yesterday that resonated with me.

This is not a diet - a diet has deadlines - this is a plan - a plan has a timeline and focus. I think that is what she said or words to that effect.

Daylight saving ends this weekend. I like the daylight at the end of the day but I really miss the daylight at the beginning. Cant walk Lucy anymore because it is pitch black when I get up and I am a scaredy cat who doesnt want to tempt fate. So as of next Sunday, time returns to normal and I should be able to walk in the mornings again for a while before winter sets in. Especially since I am not as tired has I have been. Maybe another positive from being virtually wheat-free.

Not counting today, only 6 more work days before the school holidays start. Woohoo.

Going to sit down with M and talk about my retirement. I love my job but there are so many other things I want to do. Just got to work out if I can afford to retire and when. After September next year but not sure what to do with the long service leave and tax years. Another plan to formulate.

Had two MRIs and 4 xrays done today. I have worked this week to support the medical imaging company. Dr thinks knee problems could be a meniscus injury. Will hopefully find out one way or the other when I go back and see her next week.

Yoga tonight or my version of yoga. Me and my trusty chair to help me get up etc.

Nearly finished my salad for lunch. Coffee time and then back to work. Was going to go for a walk over to the creek to see if there are any fishes about but it has started raining. I am trying to convince M to come down one day to go fishing and maybe have lunch with me but he is playing golf today.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

J has cut wheat and dairy out of her diet and I have watched her skin clear and she feels better. She is not doing it to lose weight as she doesnt have that problem - yet.

Today a casual teacher came in to work and after I complimented her on how well she looks she told me that she had decided to cut wheat out of her diet. She has lost weight, finds that she is not as hungry as she used to be and doesnt crave sugar. She looks great - glowing actually. We had a laugh about that description as glowing usually refers to someone who is pregnant and after 5 children she definitely doesnt want to go down that path again.

Anyway that is what I am thinking about today. It will be gradual I hope as I cant bear to waste what I already have but I had my last wrap today for lunch so I am not going to buy anymore and dinner should not be too much of a problem once I use the frozen meals in the freezer - they seem to be based on pasta. Of course there is still cereal to eat but I envisage that in two weeks that is all I will have left and I only eat it twice a week.

I am very tired at the moment. Still having trouble getting up on time in the morning and this morning's weigh in was horrible. I weigh more that I have in over 30 years and it is growing every week. Am aiming to do measurements this afternoon as I think I need another yardstick to measure myself against.

Hopefully I wont become too anal about this. (Subconscious is already in full revolt about the no bread thing - damn this is not going to be easy)

Trip to Melbourne was wonderful. Wedding was in Gembrook and it was such a lovely setting.

Reception was at Forest Edge.

Have tomorrow off due to doctors appointments and meeting J afterwards for lunch. She wants to go to the museum but dont think I will have time.

Lunch with pilates girls on Saturday - another challenge.

Wish me luck with this - I am beginning to doubt myself. I dont seem to be able to find the path back to where I was. Sorry if that sounds like a moan, it isnt. I am desperately trying not to settle for "I'm over a certain age and this is what happens". Balderdash!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

I am sitting here in bed with my trusty iPad today because my knee decided to let me down last night and after a night of much pain and lots of painkillers (probably too many but I was becoming desperate for respite) I couldn't face work although I miss the coffee my boss makes me every morning. The service is definitely not as good here as it is at work.

I have no idea what is wrong with the knee but I have my theories but I am not going to voice my thoughts to the doctors because I have found that they latch on to what you say rather than form their own opinions. I am going to stick to the facts:

It first happened at the beginning of January

I am not doing anything that warrants this amount of pain - sitting or last night I was ironing

While the pain at its worst means I can't weight bear on that leg it also hurts like hell when I lie down. There is no comfortable position for it.

This is probably the fourth time it has happened this year.

I have been getting numbness in my lower leg and tingling pins & needles the length of my body up my left side to my neck.

My left hip aches and I have a niggling pain in my left buttock.

GP put me on prednisone when I went to see her about it in January.

I am going to rheumatologist next week so will take this list and see what she says.

Enough of my problems.

Autumn is here at last. Glorious days and cool nights. My favourite time of year and the rain seems to have moved on for the moment (said very quietly in case rain god hears me).

J swam her last harbour swim for the season last Sunday. Her times are getting better. Down to 31 mins for 2 km in open water. We are going to coolongatta in April for an ocean swim. Flying visit - arrive Saturday, swim sunday leave sunday.

Facebook friends would have seen the picture of the egg poacher my sister sent me. I have wanted one of the little ceramic egg poachers for ages and my nephew went to Eumundi markets on a visit to the sunshine coast and bought me one, brought it down to Brisbane and big sister wrapped it ever so carefully but Australia Post still managed to break it. Was so disappointed.

I have downloaded those books that are being talked about in the press. There are three of them - the first one is "Fifty shades of grey" I think. Best described as a "bodice ripper". I need some mindless entertaining reading at the moment. The thing about this trilogy is that it came out as an ebook first and is now being published. Was/is No. 1 on the New York Times ebook list. The call it mummy porn.

I now have so many books lined up waiting to be read on both the iPad and the Kindle not to mention the real books stacked around my side of the bed.

This weekend we are flying to Melbourne for a wedding. M's niece is getting married. It will be happy and sad too. M's brother was an alcoholic and died far too young but nobody could save him - not even his beloved daughter. He never saw his grandson who he would have treasured. He was a lovely man, one who I am glad I was not married to, but he was one of the lost ones.

The children are looking after Lucy for us. G tried to extract payment from us from us for his stint. M said of course, if that's what it took but what goes around comes around. G likened dealing with us to dealing with the mafia.

There is tension between my children at the moment caused by G's girlfriend. Hopefully it won't get worse. We will let it go at the moment but if it gets worse M will mediate. Not me because I will make it worse.

Going to have to miss yoga tonight because of the knee. Damn. Look forward to it so much. Back to the knee - I think the weight gain has a bit to do with it.